Subj : PL/I v 2.1 FixPak 6
To : David Noon
From : Murray Lesser
Date : Mon Jul 24 2000 10:10 am
Hi David--
I spent entirely too much time yesterday (Sunday) downloading and
installing FP6 for the PL/I for OS/2 compiler v 2.1. I lost connection
a little over halfway through the 2.5-hour download. When I restarted,
FTP Browser didn't "resume!" Probably my fault :-(. After I installed
the FP, I found (in the file READFP6.HTM), the following statement:
"On OS/2, all 16-bit support has been dropped."
I read this as meaning that there is no longer access to the 16-bit
OS/2 API calls :-(. My needs are for KBD and VIO calls, since there are
things that I wish to do in interactive text-mode applications that
cannot be done in "native" PL/I. (For example, waiting for, and then
returning, keystroke values with "no-echo" can be done in REXX, but I
haven't found any way to do it in PL/I. I have a program that uses the
returned scan code, as well as the character code, which cannot be done
(AFAIK) in either language!) As a test, just to make sure the quoted
message says what I was afraid it says, I tried recompiling my
KBREAD.PLI procedure and got a compile-time message to the effect that
the compiler didn't recognize the option "linkage(pascal16)" so was
ignoring it. When I linked the newly compiled version to a test driver
and ran it, I got an access violation exception!
Fortunately, I had a backup of my "language" (compiler) partition
made before installing the FixPak, so I deleted the "updated" IBMPLI
folder and restored from the backup. I have also sent a plaintive call
for "HELP!!!" to Carolyn at Team PL/I Support. If she (or you) can
offer a suitable workaround, I will reinstall FP6. Otherwise, the tag
line wins again :-).
During the process, I noticed that FixPaks do not delete obsolete
files :-(. BSESUB.CPY was still present: the file (dated 1-09-00)
apparently was last updated with FP5 :-).
Two questions: What could have led the PL/I perpetrators to do such
a dirty deed? More important, can you think of any other workaround
than the one I used (restored the previously installed version)?
Secondary purpose of this post: There has been no traffic for about
two weeks in either this echo nor in OS2REXX. If I don't get an answer
from you in the near future, I will assume: 1) You are on vacation, or
2) the problem is that Bob Juge has lost his feed for this echo. Of
course, this doesn't say anything about the Summer doldrums on OS2REXX,
does it?
Regards,
--Murray
<Team PL/I>
___
* MR/2 2.30 #120 * If it ain't broke, don't FixPak it.
--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: COMM Port OS/2 juge.com 204.89.247.1 (281) 980-9671 (1:106/2000)
